


The Choices We Make

by OneWeekColdCat



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Feels, Hurt, I'm Bad At Tagging, Smut in first chapter, Spoilers, i really hated volume 7 but i was hit with inspiration, lots of feels, the first chapter is somewhat canon to the main story, the rest is my own made up crap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:21:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23256841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneWeekColdCat/pseuds/OneWeekColdCat
Summary: Our choices always have consequences. Weiss Schnee and James Ironwood learn this the hard way.
Relationships: James Ironwood/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 18
Kudos: 68





	1. Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! I know it's been a while, but here's a new fic! I know I usually do lovey dovey things for these two. But this story isn't going to be so happy. There is smut in this first chapter, but there wont be any more for a good while. Anyway, I hope you all like it! This story is set at the end of volume 7 and before it. The first chapter shifts between flashbacks of a steamy night Weiss and Ironwood and the consequences of the choices made throughout the volume by the characters. the rest of the story will dive off into a separate thing from the actual show lol.

Weiss gasped in pleasure as Ironwood kissed at her neck. She tilted her head back to give him more access to her throat. The feeling of his hands, metal and human was sending her into a frenzy. She couldn’t stop moaning his name as her hands slid up from his shoulders to his head. She needed more.

………………………………………………………..

Weiss stood in the bathroom, leaning against the wall. It was the only place she felt safe to hide at the moment. Her head was spinning and she thought she might get sick. She had been feeling like this for weeks now. Her friends were getting concerned. Especially after running out in the middle of training one day to go throw up.  
But Weiss knew they had the right to be concerned. After all, it wasn’t like Weiss to get sick. She tried to shrug it off at first. It was probably just a stomach bug.  
Right?  
………………………………………………………..  


“James! Oh Gods, James!” Weiss shouted as Ironwood bit her bare shoulder. She heard the man growl lowly.  
“Gods you’re so beautiful. You’re perfect, Weiss. So fucking perfect.” Ironwood said as he kissed down from Weiss’ neck to her chest. His hands grabbed onto her waist to lift her up slightly. Weiss couldn’t help but shiver in anticipation.  
“Show me. Show me how much you want me, James.”  


………………………………………………………….  


Weiss had decided to get checked out by a doctor after the second week of being sick. Even then she only went at the begging of her friends. She decided it would be easier to relieve their worries than to constantly hear them nagging her. Then again, their worrying wasn’t as bad as Winter’s. Weiss had to promise her sister that she would go to the doctor to avoid Winter carrying her there herself. Still, maybe they could give her some sort of medication for this stomach bug.  


It only took a few tests to find out what was wrong. The news hit Weiss like a truck. She thought the wind had been knocked out of her. She fainted right there in the doctor’s office.  


…………………………………………………………..  


Ironwood took Weiss’ face into his hands and had her look him in the eyes. There was a fiery lust in them. But there was also apprehension. He took a deep breath before speaking.  


“Miss Schn- Weiss, are you sure about this? Do you really want to do this with me? Because I’m afraid that once we start, I won’t be able to stop. I won’t be able to control myself.” Ironwood sounded desperate. Weiss smiled and kissed his lips.  


“James Ironwood, I want you to fuck me. Lose control. Make me lose control. I want you. You and no one else. Please, claim me.” Weiss couldn’t help but smile as she spoke. She heard Ironwood growl again and flipped the two of them over on the bed so that he was now leaning over her. He smirked down at her.  


“As my lady wishes.”  


………………………………………………………………….  


Weiss arrived back at the base and went straight to her's and her team’s quarters. She paced about, trying to decide what to do. She was in a panic.  
How would Ironwood react? How would her friends react? How would her sister react? There were too many questions going through Weiss’ mind. She sat down on one of the bottom bunks of the bunkbeds and cried.  


“How could I have been so stupid? Why? What am I going to do?”  


…………………………………………………………………..  


Ironwood crashed his lips into Weiss’ own. He dominated the kiss, making Weiss feel dizzy yet excited. She opened her mouth when she felt his tongue licking at her lips. The feeling of their tongues moving together was overwhelming. So much so that she didn’t notice his cock pushing against the entrance of her core at first. But once she did notice it, she wanted nothing more than to feel it inside of her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. There was no turning back now.  


…………………………………………………………………  


Weiss’ scroll went off. A message from Ruby saying that Ironwood and Winter wanted to speak to everyone. Weiss read the message and sighed. She had to tell them. She’d tell them all soon. But she had to tell Ironwood first. He had the right to know.  


Weiss felt her heart drop when Ironwood told everyone that they had been invited to the Schnee Manor for a party that night to celebrate Jacques Schnee’s victory in the council election. For Weiss, this was a nightmare. She would have to wait until after the party to tell Ironwood her news.  


Weiss felt sick, but not because of her condition.  


…………………………………………………………..  


“A bit eager, are we?” Ironwood chuckled. The sound driving Weiss insane.  


“I don’t want to wait anymore. Please, James, I need you. Please.” Weiss begged and Ironwood smiled.  


Weiss screamed as Ironwood started to slowly push himself inside of her. He was so big and she could feel him stretching her inner walls. It was painful at first. But the pain very quickly turned into pleasure.  


Ironwood kept a slow pace at first, wanting to make sure that Weiss adjusted to his size before going any faster. He took it as his sign to move more when he felt Weiss thrust her own hips up, completely sheathing himself in her. Her screams of pleasure spurred him on and he started to thrust into her in a way that had them both shouting each other’s names.  


…………………………………………………………  


Weiss never got to tell Ironwood what was going on with her.  


Everything happened so fast. One moment she was arresting her father for treason. The next, was fighting off a grimm attack with her team. Then she was fighting the Ace Ops and was now a wanted criminal.  


Everything else was a blur until she was on an aircraft with her team, trying to escape both Ironwood and Salem. Her heart was broken. But she had to hide it. She had to be strong. For her team. For her friends. For herself.  
………………………………………………………….

Ironwood and Weiss went for hours. They were a tangled mess of limbs as they made love. It was a relief that Ironwood’s personal quarters were soundproofed or all of Atlas would have known about them. But soon it was beginning to be too much for both of them.  


“James…I’m gonna…I’m gonna…”  


“Me too. Do it with me. Release with me. I’m almost there.”  


“James…oh Gods, James….James….JAMES!”  


“WEISS!”  


They screamed each other’s names as they both hit their release. The feeling was intense and both of them collapsed as soon as it was all over. Ironwood pulled out of Weiss and rolled onto his back next to her. They were both spent and trying to catch their breath.  


After a moment Ironwood pulled Weiss into his human side and cuddled her close. Weiss didn’t protest. Ironwood was so warm and she was so tired. She simply turned to nuzzle into his side and quickly fell asleep, feeling happier than she had ever felt before. Ironwood wasn’t too far behind her and soon fell asleep with a small smile on his own face.  
………………………………………………….  


Weiss had never felt so alone.  


Here she was, on the run from the man she thought she loved. Escaping her home again. She rested a hand on the lower part of her belly, hoping things were still okay with the child she was carrying.  


Wiess was pregnant and she couldn’t tell anyone now. Not now. Not when her world had just fallen apart for the second time since Beacon fell. Not when her friends, no, her family was so broken down. Not when she had just met Salem herself. Not when Oscar was missing. Not when her own sister abandoned her and chose to stand by the man that had stolen and shattered her heart.  


Weiss wanted to break down. After all, she was supposed to help save the world. Instead she helped bring Atlas to chaos. And she was carrying Ironwood’s baby. How was she supposed to stay strong in all of this? How?  


Sadly, it didn’t matter at the moment. With great effort, Weiss shifted her focus to her family and tried her best to help comfort them. She only wished she could do more. But for now, they needed her. So she’d try. She’d try for them. She would do anything for them.  


No matter how much it broke her.


	2. Betrayed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey! Chapter two is finally here! Just thought id give the heads up that this chapter comes with a trigger warning for mentions of abortion! if that upsets you, you might not want to read this chapter. Also, if you don't like what I did with Yang, that's completely understandable. but I won't change what I've written. you have been warned.

The aircraft landed without too much trouble. Still, Weiss concentrated her aura around her belly just in case. They were all far enough away from Atlas now that they felt safe taking a breather. At the moment, everyone was just happy to be alive. 

But the tension was still in the air. There was a lot on everyone’s minds. For a long time, they were silent. Worried and guilty expressions were present on everyone’s faces. Weiss understood why. They all knew they had messed up in ways that made the damage irreparable. They were all worried for Oscar, praying he was okay. They worried about Penny and her newfound maiden powers. They were worried for themselves. And about the fact that Salem was only hours away from Atlas. 

“What do we do know?” Penny suddenly asked, being the first to break the silence. 

“I don’t know. But we can’t stay here for long.’” Jaune stood up. He looked tired and upset. “We need to decide if we’re going to stay and fight, or if we’re going to run. Salem is here. And Oscar….is missing. Whatever we decide to do, we need to do it now.” Jaune looked around at everyone until Ruby stood up.

“Most of what is happening right is our fault. We need to stay and fight. I’m not abandoning these people. We need to make up for what we’ve done.” Ruby sounded determined, practically daring anyone to argue with her. But everyone nodded in agreement. Even Pietro and Maria. The only person that remained still was Weiss.

Weiss knew she couldn’t fight anymore. She had to stop. For her, there was now too much at stake. She listened as everyone started talking and planning. She could feel tears start welling up in her eyes and her stomach started to feel sick. It wasn’t until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she was pulled from her thoughts. Maria was looking at her. Even through the mechanical eyes, Weiss could see the old woman’s concern. It was also now that Weiss realized that her face was soaked with tears and that everyone was looking at her. 

“Child, what’s on your mind? Maybe we can help.” Maria spoke softly. Weiss looked at her for a moment before bursting into loud sobs and burying her face in Maria’s chest as she fell to her knees. She had to tell them. They had the right to know. Weiss felt another pair of hands rest on her shoulders and knew it was Ruby sitting with her now.

“Weiss? What’s going on? Is this about Winter? Is there something else going on?” Ruby asked, worry heavy in her voice. Weiss slowly turned away from Maria to look at Ruby. It was now or never. And it had to be now.

“I’m sorry. Everyone, I’m so sorry.” Weiss stood up and looked around at her new family, knowing that this might be the last time she could call them that. Their concerned faces only broke her heart more. “I- I can’t fight. I can’t do anything anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Blake spoke up and took a step towards Weiss. But she stopped when Weiss flinched and took a step back.

“Does this have to do with why you’ve been sick the last several weeks?” Yang asked, looking concerned but also questioning. Weiss nodded.

“Before all of this happened, I had gone to the doctor. And….” Weiss felt her hands shaking. Terror filled her heart and she moved her hands to rest on her lower belly again. She couldn’t bring herself to say it. But she didn’t have to.

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” All eyes snapped to Ren when he asked his question. Nora scoffed loudly.

“Of course she’s not pregnant! That would be crazy! She’s probably just- “

“Yes.” All eyes fell to Weiss again. “Yes. I’m pregnant. 

Everyone fell silent again. They were all shocked at the news. Weiss closed her eyes as she sensed things were about to fall apart more. She was right.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!? ARE INSANE!? WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING YOU IDIOT!?” Yang shouted as she lunged at Weiss, only to be stopped by Blake, Jaune and Penny. But that didn’t stop her yelling. “HOW DARE YOU!? YOU WHORE! YOU STUPID SLUT! DON’T YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU’VE DONE!? AND NOW YOU’RE GOING TO ABANDON US!?”

“Yang! That’s enough!”

“Stop it!” 

“You have to calm down or you’ll attract Grimm!”

Everyone was yelling all at once. It was getting to be too much for Weiss to handle. She fell to her knees and sobbed out apology after apology as everyone around her freaked out. She could practically feel her heart being ripped from her chest.

“EVERYONE SHUT UP!”

Everyone became silent and still as Maria stared angrily at all of them. She kneeled down next to Weiss and brought her into a gentle hug. Weiss, grateful for the comfort, allowed herself to bury her face into Maria’s chest again. Maria looked back at everyone again with fury.

“How dare you, all of you? She told you what was going on with her and you all act like it’s the end of the world. The poor girl is already in enough pain. You’re panic, anger and yelling won’t change that. Now all of you shut up and let Weiss rest.” Maria patted Weiss’ head and spoke in a calm voice now. “I’m sorry. You must be going through so much. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling. Your sadness is understandable. We’ll figure this out though. There’s no need to fret.”

Weiss held tightly to Maria. She wanted those words to be true. But Weiss knew better than to hope for that. Yang was right, she would be abandoning them. By getting pregnant, she had betrayed them in a way. Even more so since the father of her child wanted to arrest all of them. The thought of Ironwood only served to upset her more.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Weiss said, looking back out at everyone’s faces. The mixed looks of shock and anger didn’t surprise her at all. “I never meant for this to happen. This wasn’t supposed to happen. You all deserve to be angry at me. I don’t blame you. But I can’t… I can’t fight anymore. I can’t help. There’s nothing I can do.”

“You could risk the thing dying and not abandon us. Or even get an abortion.” Yang said coldly. The words hit Weiss like a train. She looked over at Yang. She felt like ice water had been poured into her soul at the look of pure animosity on the blonde’s face. 

“What…what did you just say?” Weiss’ voice was just barely above a whisper.

“I said get an abortion! Kill it! We don’t have time for you to have a baby! You can’t afford the luxury of having a baby when we’re all supposed to be fighting Salem! Are you really that stupid!?” Yang’s voice dripped with venom as she yelled at Weiss.

“You’re acting like I got pregnant on purpose!”

“You were the one fucking stupid enough to have sex with someone in the first place!”

“So, it’s my fault that the one and only time I try to find stress relief from all the shit we’re going through gets me pregnant? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes! You of all people should know better!” 

“I DIDN’T GET PREGNANT ON PURPOSE!”

“YOU MAY AS WELL HAVE YOU STUPID BITCH!” Yang’s eyes turned red and she took a step towards Weiss. But she stopped when a sudden growl caught everyone’s attention. At that point, Ruby stepped up.

“We have to calm down. All we’re doing is attracting Grimm.” Ruby turned to look at Yang. “What’s done is done. We have to keep moving forward now. It’s Weiss’ decision to not fight. You don’t have the right to tell her what to do.” Ruby took a deep breath before turning to look at Weiss. The look on her face was a mixture of sorrow and anger. Wiess felt her heart drop when she saw tears in Ruby’s eyes.

“Weiss, I know you didn’t do this on purpose. But still…it hurts that it’s happened. It must be even more painful for you. But right now, I can’t forgive you. I can’t…” Ruby started sobbing. Weiss knew why. She understood. She was choosing to leave the people she now considered her family. For the sake of her unborn child. Ruby already had so many people leave her. And now Weiss was doing the same. 

Before Weiss could say anything though, a whirring of an aircraft sounded above them. Everyone looked up to see a medium sized air craft right above them. How they had missed it before, no one knew. But when the side hatch opened and a figure jumped down and landed in from of them, it was as if everyone’s worst nightmares had come true.  
Ironwood stood before them now. And a few robotic soldiers weren’t far behind him. Weiss thought her heart stopped and she instinctively put her hands on her belly as she took a few steps back. Ironwood stood silent at first, glaring at everyone. Everyone except Weiss got into a fighting stance. But even she knew they were no match right now. Even injured, Ironwood could take them down. They were tired, injured, some badly injured, and their auras were broken. Ironwood had the advantage that he could fight for hours in those conditions. But Weiss knew her friends couldn’t.

“I suggest you all stand down. I’m not afraid of hurting any of you more than you already are. This is your last chance to surrender and come face your crimes. And even if you do manage to escape, you won’t get far. It was a good idea to have a tracker implanted into Miss Polendina.” Ironwood spoke with a cold authority that made it so there was no doubt he was telling the truth. Weiss looked over at Penny. If the girl had the ability to turn pale, she would have.

Weiss thought for a moment. She thought about how this wasn’t fair. How her family was in danger. She had to do something. But what?

Then it hit her. Weiss knew it was her one chance to save everyone. She ran up in front of Ironwood and stood her ground, holding her arms out as if to shield everyone from Ironwood.

“General Ironwood.” Weiss began, trying to not show the fear that threatened to reveal itself. “I won’t let you arrest any one of these people. I can’t fight you, but I will make you a deal. You have to listen to me. After everything we’ve been through, you at least owe me that much.”


	3. Bargains

Ironwood stared down at Weiss. Looking at her made him feel a lot of different things. Anger, sadness, betrayal, regret. But the most prominent emotion was anger. He didn’t even try to hide it. He glared at her with as much malice as he could muster. 

“Why the Hell should I listen to you?” Ironwood growled through his teeth. He felt a small wave of satisfaction go through him as he saw Weiss visibly flinch. But he remained steady in his expression. “Give me one good, God damned reason why I should listen to you.” 

Weiss gulped and took a deep breath. She knew there was a chance Ironwood wouldn’t believe her when she told him the truth. But this was her only chance to save everyone. She could practically feel the eyes of her family on her back. It wasn’t until she heard someone scoff behind her that she realized the true depth of the situation. He may believe she’s pregnant, but would he care?  
“You expect to care about your so called “condition”? You’d have better luck talking to a brick wall.” Weiss heard Yang speaking behind her, but made no move to acknowledge it. Ironwood on the other hand did.

“You’re right, Miss Xiao Long. Any condition that any of you might have is no concern of mine.” Ironwood spoke directly at Yang before looking back at Weiss. “My only concern now is getting you all behind bars and fighting Salem. So again, why should I listen to you?”

Weiss felt a surge of anger go through her. In a moment of boldness, she looked up at Ironwood directly in the eyes. Matching his anger with her own. She rested her hands on her belly again as she held eye contact with him. She didn’t even think anymore as the words spilled out of her mouth.

“You should listen to me because I’m pregnant, you giant bastard! I’m pregnant! And it’s your baby!”

It was as if the world had stopped. Similar to the feeling the first time Weiss and the others had met Jinn. There was only silence. Weiss watched as Ironwood looked like someone had poured ice water onto him. She listened as she felt the crunch of snow behind her, knowing someone had just fallen to their knees in shock. Weiss felt her boldness dying down and decided to say more before her boldness slipped away from her completely.

“The reason I’ve been sick for so many weeks. The reason I’m standing here now before you, telling you this, is because the baby is yours. After everything we’ve gone through, you at least deserved to know. I said I wanted to make a deal with you. You have to listen to me. I’m not going to accept anything less than you listening to me.” Weiss stood there, trying to be defiant, but knowing she couldn’t hide her fear.

“YOU BITCH!” Weiss heard Yang shout. She heard several voices cry out as she heard Yang being tackled onto the ground. But that didn’t stop her from yelling. “NOT ONLY ARE YOU PREGNANT, BUT IT’S THAT BASTARD’S BABY!? YOU GOT FUCKED BY HIM!? YOU IDIOT! YOU DUMB, STUPID WHORE! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, WEISS!? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?” Each of Yang’s words felt like a knife being stabbed into her back. She couldn’t stop the few tears that fell down her cheeks. Yang’s words were beginning to get jumbled in the mass of voices Weiss could hear now. All she could understand now was that Yang was crying as she was yelling. Wiess didn’t blame her.

“It’s…it’s my…” Ironwood started. He was shocked. He wanted to believe that Weiss was lying. That this was all some ploy to make him let her go. But he knew, deep down, that she was telling the truth. His left hand started to shake as he tried to do the math in his head, only to realize that everything added up in the timeline of events from that night to now. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes as he thought some more. Finally, he opened his eyes again. His demeanor was stoic, as he normally acted when being around his soldiers. “It seems that you’ve left me no choice but to listen to what you have to say. So say what you will."

Weiss mentally sighed in both relief and worry. But she knew this wasn’t the time for worry. The more time spent here was more time wasted in preparing for the fight against Salem.

“You will let them all go.” Weiss’ voice was stern. Her expression was determined and unmoving. “You let them all go free. You will take them off of the wanted list. You will let them fight Salem and her forces and then let them leave. I can’t fight. I’m practically useless now. If you do as I’ve asked, then…then I’ll go with you. Without a fight and without question, I’ll come back to Atlas with you. You’ll get  
to see this baby.” Weiss wasn’t surprised to see Ironwood react to what she was saying like he’d been slapped in the face.

“Weiss! What are you doing!?” Ruby shouted, but Ironwood shut the young reaper down.

“QUIET!” He shouted at Ruby before she could say anything else. Ironwood looked back at Weiss. “And if I don’t do as you ask?”

“Then I run away. I’ve gotten very good at escaping Atlas. I’ll run away and hide. I’ll change my name, dye and cut my hair, travel as far as I need to go to get away from you. You will never see this child. They will never know who you are. They won’t know you even exist. And you will have to live with knowing that you have a child out in the world that, no matter what you do or how hard you look, you will never find them.” Weiss’ tone was serious. There was no doubt that she’d do everything she said she would if Ironwood didn’t comply to her demands. Part of her was worried he wouldn’t care and arrest them all anyway. She watched as Ironwood closed his eyes in thought again. She could tell he was beyond angry. He was outright livid. And when she saw him clench his fists and saw his left hand shaking, she thought he was going to do something unthinkable.

But instead, Weiss watched in amazement as Ironwood reached into a pocket on the inside of his jacket and pulled out his scroll. He was deadly silent as he typed some things down. It took a while before he put his scroll back in his pocket and sighed.

“They’re all free to go.” Ironwood said quietly as he shifted his gaze to everyone else. “Weiss just saved your lives. You should be grateful to her. But you are all banned from Atlas and Mantle as soon as the fight with Salem is over. If you step even a single foot across the border, you will be thrown in jail and charged with war crimes.” He turned to look at Weiss, she looked stunned that he had complied. That only made him angrier. “Come along, Weiss. We need to find you a safe place to stay.” Weiss only nodded and began to follow Ironwood as he turned to get back on the now landed aircraft.

“Weiss! Don’t do this! Don’t go!” Ruby shouted. Weiss could hear Ruby crying. She turned to look back at her family, at Ruby, with tears streaming down her own face. She forced herself to smile.

“I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. It was the only way to save you all. You’re free now. I love you. All of you. I’m so sorry.” Weiss turned and ran after Ironwood to get on the aircraft. 

She couldn’t bear to look at them now that she was leaving them. She knew she done what she had to do. But the heartache that she felt was more painful than anything she had felt thus far. As soon as the door to the aircraft closed and she was seated, Weiss openly sobbed. She didn’t care that Ironwood could hear her. She cried freely, not having the strength to hold it back anymore. It didn’t matter anymore anyway. She had just made herself a prisoner again to make sure her family would be free. She had the right to cry.

Ironwood sat in the pilot’s seat of the aircraft. He tried to focus on driving and making sure there was nothing that was going to strike them down. He knew the robotic soldiers would protect himself and Weiss. But still, the fear lingered. And with it was the crushing weight of everything that had just transpired. He could clearly hear Weiss crying. And, even as angry as he was, he understood why she was crying. 

Ironwood shook his head. He couldn’t focus on that right now. He had to focus on getting back to base and directing the fight with Salem. A fight that was only a few hours away at most. He’d make sure to get Weiss hidden safely before then. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew he owed it to Weiss to keep her and their baby safe. Everything was on his shoulders. If they made it out of this fight alive, he’d do anything within his power to get the proper care needed for Weiss to have a healthy pregnancy.

That was the bargain Ironwood mentally made to himself and Weiss. That if they lived, he’d take care of them. No matter what. And if Ironwood was anything, he was a man of his word. Or at least, he tried to be.


	4. The Battle Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so so so so sorry this took so long! It was so hard to write and I know it still isn't the best! but it was the best I got. I know there will be a lot of questions and I'm prepared to answer them at a later time. even so, I'm still proud that I got this up. The points of view will switch between Ironwood and Weiss. I really hope you guys like this chapter and I want to thank everyone who has stuck with me for so long. You guys are the best!

The moment the aircraft landed; Ironwood immediately took Weiss to his office. Weiss couldn’t help but look around at everyone as they walked. Almost everyone was too busy preparing for the battle to really notice her. But the few who did were either not caring, confused, or glaring daggers at her. She tried to shrink in on herself as she followed closely behind Ironwood. She was almost grateful that they didn’t run into any members of the Ace Ops or Winter. It was a very long walk to Ironwood’s office. And both Ironwood and Weiss were silent as they walked. But once the office doors were closed, Ironwood turned to Weiss. His expression was a bit softer now. He looked more tired than Weiss had ever seen him. She felt guilty for that. But it also didn’t stop her from being angry with him.

“This is the safest place right now. It’s completely reinforced. I can’t station guards to watch you. But I can make sure you can’t leave unless the need arises. I can’t-. “Ironwood sighed and shook his head. “I can’t risk you getting hurt. I’m sorry I’m so sorry, Weiss. Please, stay here, be safe. I’ll come for you as soon as I can. I…I hope you can forgive me for all of this. For everything.” With that, Ironwood turned and walked back out of the office. 

Weiss watched Ironwood leave in silence. As soon as the doors closed, she heard several pops and banging sounds indicating that the doors were locked. No one was getting in or out. Weiss felt truly like a prisoner now. She sighed as she walked over to Ironwood’s desk and sat down in his chair. She leaned back and took a deep breath, feeling at least a tiny bit of relief that she could finally sit down. But then she turned to look out the windows.

The large looking storm clouds were so much closer now. Salem was practically here. There was no stopping that. And Weiss felt completely useless now. She couldn’t help but think that she should be out there. That Yang might have been right about risking losing the baby. She put her hands on her belly and grimaced. She knew there was no way she could bring herself to do that. She didn’t have the heart to do that.

Weiss suddenly jumped a little when she heard her scroll go off. She had been so deep in her thoughts that the call startled her. She pulled her scroll out and looked at the screen in confusion. All it said was Private Number. Weiss knew it probably wasn’t smart to answer it, but she had a feeling like she should. With a great hesitation, she accepted the call.

“Hello?” Weiss spoke with wariness. But she was surprised to hear a familiar voice on the other end of the call.  
“Miss Schnee, this is Pietro Polendina. I’m so happy you picked up. I know this is insane, but I need a favor of you. I need your help.”

……………………………….

As soon as the office doors had closed, Ironwood took a deep breath. He had to get back into the mindset of being the leader of his armies. He marched as fast as he could back to his soldiers and took the reigns in the battle preparations. He made sure every soldier he could find was ready. Made sure that every aircraft was prepped and every weapon was at the ready. This was going to be the hardest fight of all of their lives. And Ironwood wanted to be sure that everyone was as ready as they’d ever be.

But still, Ironwood couldn’t help the occasional thought about Weiss. And each time she came to his mind, the guilt of everything dealing with her made him cringe. But he had to shake those thoughts away. His troops needed him. Everyone needed him. He knew that. So, he did his damnedest to keep Weiss out of his mind.

Ironwood walked out to the takeoff hanger and looked at the sky. Salem wasn’t too far away now. He glared at the dark clouds indicating her arrival. But then he was distracted by a siren going off. It was distant, but it was loud. Loud enough for people to hear it for miles. Ironwood clenched his metal hand in anger, but then breathed a heavy sigh.

The siren was unmistakable. It was the signal for those down in Mantle to evacuate. Someone had sent out the signal against Ironwood’s orders. He was livid. But at the same time, he knew that someone would do it. He had somewhat counted on it. He knew the people in Mantle now had a chance to escape at least. He chose to accept what it was hoped that everyone could get away fast enough to escape the carnage that was on its way.

…………………………….

“Mr. Polendina!? But- how did you-.” Weiss started to ask questions, but Pietro cut her off. His voice sounded urgent.

“I’ll explain later. But for now, I need your help. First, am I correct in assuming the general took you to his office?” Pietro was very serious. Weiss decided to listen to what the man said and answered his question.

“Yes. But how did you- “

“That isn’t important right now. Listen, Miss Schnee, I need you to set your scroll on the general’s desk. I have a plan. And if it works, we can save at least half of the civilians in both Mantle and Atlas.” As Pietro spoke, Weiss could hear the man typing something. She immediately set her scroll to be on speaker mode and then set the scroll down on Ironwood’s desk. Right away the desk lit up and holograms of different pieces of data and files were brought up, making Weiss gasp in surprise, realizing that the desk itself was a large computer of sorts.

“Alright, Mr. Polendina. What do you need me to do next?” Weiss leaned on the edge of the desk. She sounded determined and felt the same way. If she could help save lives, she’d do everything she could.

“I’ve hacked the desk’s mainframe so it will bring up everything on it and react to your scroll.” Pietro spoke as he kept typing rapidly. “The first thing I need you to do is go through the files you see and find the one pertaining to Mantle’s safety measures. And please, hurry.” Weiss went straight to work. It took some time, more time than she knew it should have. But she found the file Pietro was looking for.

“Alright Mr. Polendina, I found the file. What next?”

“Go through it until you find the file for the evacuation siren. From there, activate the siren. There shouldn’t be a password or anything blocking it. I already took care of that a long time ago.” Weiss knew better than to ask Pietro what he was talking about on that last statement. She simply did as he said and found the file for the evacuation siren. Again, it took more time to find than Weiss was comfortable with. But the moment she could, she activated the siren.

Weiss could hear the siren herself. She smiled and sighed in relief. Now those in Mantle had a chance to escape before the battle even started. It wasn’t much of a chance, but it was something. 

“What do I need to do next?” Weiss asked. She had a feeling that this was just the start of everything they were going to do. But she felt determined to help. She had been given the chance to help everyone she could. It ignited something inside of her. A spark she hadn’t felt in a very, very long time. For the first time in heaven knows how long, even if she wasn’t out there fighting, Weiss felt like a true huntress. 

“I need you to go back to the main page.” Weiss’ thoughts were interrupted by Pietro. She shook her head and focused on what he was saying. “I’m not sure if you knew this, Miss Schnee, but all traveling aircrafts and even Amity Arena itself, everything that can fly that wasn’t meant for battle, has a program in it. I put this program into them myself years ago in case of emergencies since all the non-fighting aircrafts are my design. The program allows for General Ironwood, or in this case us, to take control of the aircrafts.”

“Alright. But what does that mean? What exactly are we doing?” Weiss asked in confusion. She heard Pietro chuckle.

“We are first going to hack the Atlas files and find the safety measures the same way we did for Mantle. But instead of a siren, we will be going into the big screens all over the city and playing the emergency announcement I also programmed. It’s going to tell everyone in Atlas to either get to Amity Arena or any of the traveling aircrafts for evacuation. I’ll help you to make sure that everything is all ready for them. Are you ready?”

“Ready and willing. Just guide me on what I need to do.” Weiss smiled again, but then got serious. She took a deep breath and prepared for everything she and Pietro were about to do. But just then, the sounds of battle hit her ears.

Weiss looked out the windows and gasped. The fight had started. She could see fighter jets blasting away at what looked like hundreds of Grimm. Everything was down to the wire now. There was no time to lose. 

…………………………….

“Everyone, prepare for battle! Hold off the front attacks as long as you can! The main attack won’t start until the enemy thinks they’ve weakened our defenses! We have to get them before they get us!” Ironwood shouted as troops ran for the fighter jets as soon as the first sign of Grimm showed up. It looked to be like flocks and swarms of Ravagers and Nevermores for now, but Ironwood knew that worse things weren’t far behind. Salem was too smart and too powerful to just stick to basic Grimm like that.

The sounds of gunfire mixed with the angry cries from Grimm filled Ironwood’s ears. It filled him with both hope for his troops, and dread for what would happen if they lost. But he kept going around. Giving commands and taking actions to help win this fight. Already it felt like they had been fighting for an eternity. And he only stopped when he got a call on his scroll. He reluctantly took his scroll out and answered the call seeing as it was from one of his few ground men in the city.

“What is it?” Ironwood almost growled the question. But still, he listened intently.

“Sir, the T.V.s all over the city are displaying a message encouraging the citizens to evacuate to any and all non-fighting aircrafts, including Amity Arena! What should we do?” The grounds man asked with urgency. Ironwood cursed under his breath. He knew there was only one way that message would be displayed. Weiss had somehow hacked into his main computer in his desk and found the information to play the message. After a minute of contemplative silence, Ironwood finally spoke.

“Let them evacuate. Get as many civilians out of the city as you can. We’ll keep the fight focused on us as much as possible. If anyone resists, then that is their choice. Just get everyone you can out of there! Get them to Argus or as close as possible!” Ironwood commanded with no room for argument.

“Yes, Sir!” The call ended and Ironwood looked out at the fight. He wanted to be angrier than he was, but he knew that getting the civilians away was Weiss’ way of helping in the fight. He didn’t know how she did it, but a part of him was glad she did. Because now he could focus all of his attention to the fight with Salem.


	5. Regrets and Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is shorter than the others. But I'm still happy with how it turned out. Hope you all enjoy it! Remember, kudos and comments are love!

Weiss walked away from the desk and sighed. After she had helped Pietro, he told her that he would take things from there and thanked her for the assistance. As much as she wanted to keep helping, she knew that there wasn’t anything more she could do. And she needed to calm herself down so that she wouldn’t cause herself even more stress. She went and sat on one of the steps leading up to the desk. She sighed again and looked up at the ceiling.

“What do I do now?” Weiss asked no one in particular. Helping Pietro had distracted her from her thoughts. But now she was on her own again with nothing but her thoughts. 

Weiss thought about her team. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she recalled their faces. Ruby’s sadness. Yang’s rage. Blake’s shock. She wished for the hundredth time that this had never happened. That she had never given her heart so freely to Ironwood. She looked around the office again. With no escape and no way out without risking harming the baby, she felt helpless.

But at the same time, she understood. She understood why Ironwood was keeping her here and away from the fight. Why he had locked her away. Unlike her father locking her away to protect his own reputation, Ironwood genuinely wanted to keep her and their baby safe. She knew that he was a good enough man that he would try his best to take care of her and make sure she was as safe as possible. Despite everything, that thought made her smile for just a moment. Weiss knew that with Ironwood, she would be safe. 

Still, even knowing that couldn’t quell her anger and guilt. Her heart was still broken. And soon she was standing and pacing around the office. She started talking to herself.

“How will all of this affect my future? Will I be able to keep being a huntress? Will I be forced to marry Ironwood? What will my family say? What will Winter say?” That last question made Weiss stop dead in her tracks. “What would Winter say? What will she do once she knows? I can’t keep this from her. But…” Weiss felt tears stinging her eyes. Remembering the look Winter gave her when she said she was giving her a head start still burned in her memory. Winter had all but abandoned her then. Choosing to follow the orders to arrest her instead of help her. 

And there was that too. Weiss had been a wanted criminal. How was she going to explain to Winter how she had given up her own freedom to get everyone else off the wanted list? All Weiss did was trade one kind of prison for another. If she stayed in Atlas, she would have to be locked away and kept a secret from the public. Both for fear of her safety as The White Fang and Anti-Military groups might use her to get to Ironwood. And that her own father, even from jail, would use his influence to destroy Ironwood and herself.

Weiss went and sat back down in the chair at the desk, feeling even more helpless than before. She suddenly felt exhausted. As if all the energy had been sapped out of her body. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this tired. Was it because of the baby? Before she knew it, she had fallen into a restless sleep. Her last conscious thought being how she hoped that this would be as bad as things would get.

……………

Ironwood didn’t have time to think of much beyond the fight. The first wave of Grimm had been taken down with minimal casualties. But now Salem herself could be seen on what looked like a giant whale Grimm. And with her were thousands of more Grimm. Ironwood felt his heart sink at the sight of them. He looked around and he could see that every single soldier had the same expression of dread that he had. Ironwood knew that if this kept up, they would all die. They would fail. Ironwood growled lowly before shouting and punching one of the remaining fighter jets, getting everyone’s attention. He took out his scroll and called a number that connected him to all of the loudspeakers in the area.

“We will not fall here!” Ironwood shouted. The soldiers perked up and listened intently. “This is what we have all been training for! For years we have all fought these creatures. And now we are at what could be our final stand. But we will not give up! We will keep fighting to our last breaths! The people of Atlas and Mantle need us now more than ever! If we fall, then so do they! We can’t let fear stop us! We can’t let the enemy win! Here is where we make our stand! And whether we win or lose, we WILL show everyone that Atlas, no, that humanity will not be taken down so easily by the Grimm! It’s time to show the entire world just what we’re made of! We are soldiers! We are guardians! We are Atlas! And right now, we are the only hope that that the people of Atlas and Mantle have! Keep your chins up soldiers! AND DON’T LOSE HOPE IN YOURSELVES OR EACH OTHER!” Ironwood finished his speech to the sounds of cheers and battle preparations. 

Ironwood took a moment to glance back into the opposite direction, facing where Atlas Academy, where Weiss, would be. He frowned. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for everything involving her. His own regrets hitting him like rocks. He regretted letting himself fall for Weiss. Regretted how easy it was for him to fall for her. He regretted everything he did to her and for putting her in this position. He truly hoped that he would live to keep his promise to take care of her and their baby.

He shook his head. Now was not the time for this. Now was the time for battle. Now was the time when his soldiers needed him most. When all of Atlas and Mantle needed him most. He couldn’t let them down again. Not this time. He looked around and started shouting commands to the soldiers again. At this moment, he had to be a general first. Everything else would have to be figured out later. 

As Ironwood took charge again, he tried everything to keep his focus on the fight. It helped when he spotted a group of familiar figures out in the swarms of Grimm. He grimaced, but let it go. After all, they weren’t on the wanted list anymore. And he was a man of his word and he’d hold off until all of this was over. He hoped they could help with all of this. 

“Flight squads 7 and 8! There are a group of fighters out there in the swarms! They need backup, NOW!” Ironwood ordered. He watched as the squads went and flew off towards team RWBY and the remaining members of team JNPR. A new wave of guilt hit him as he thought about Oscar and why the boy wasn’t with everyone else. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Ironwood knew that it was his fault if the boy died. The moment Oscar fell, Ironwood had been filled with anguish and regret. He inwardly prayed that Oscar was okay. He prayed that Oscar was alive. And that just maybe he could forgive him for everything. The chances of any of that were slim. And Ironwood accepted that.

The only thing Ironwood could do now was keep going. And he intended to do just that. He kept going with the hope that maybe, just maybe, there would be a way to atone for his mistakes.


	6. Promises and Forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have learned that I am simply no good at writing battles. I tried so hard guys. Sadly nothing turned out quite right. But I wanted to continue the story and I hope you guys at least like the chapter. Hopefully I can do more updates to this fic at a faster pace now. Thank you all for sticking with me through this! You guys are the best!

It felt as though the battle lasted forever.

Every one of the soldiers fought valiantly. Teams RWBY and JNR and Penny also fought bravely. And in the end, the Grimm were no match. The deciding factor was when Ruby and Penny somehow combined their powers and took down the great whale Grimm that Salem rode on. Salem was forced to retreat as even more of her Grimm were killed off. But not without a final word of warning that she would be back. A promise that everyone took seriously.

But the battle had been won. There were cheers as the enemy retreated. Relief and joy were felt all throughout the remaining soldiers and the team of young fighters. Even though they disappeared after the fight, everyone was grateful for their help. The survivors came back to base after everything was cleared and declared safe. And for a moment everything was fine with the world.   
Ironwood himself smiled at the victory before turning and making a run for his office. Now that the battle was over, he could go see Weiss. He inwardly prayed that she was alright. He ran as fast as he could to get to her, finally making it to the door and unlocking it.

…………………………………………

Weiss had only slept for a short while. When she woke up and looked out of the large windows, she found the battle still going. She sat and watched with wide eyes as everything happened before her. But when she saw a blast of power and the whale Grimm going down, Weiss knew that they had won. She watched with happy tears as Salem and the Grimm retreated. Deep down she knew that this war wasn’t over, but the battle had been won for now. She went back to sit in Ironwood’s chair again and finally let herself relax with a heavy sigh and s soft smile. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there, but she jumped a little when she suddenly heard the office door unlocking and Ironwood ran inside. Weiss cold see the relief that fell over him when he saw her. He gave her a soft smile.

“I’m beyond relieved that you’re okay, Weiss.” Ironwood spoke softly. He suddenly fell to his knees, his body weak from exhaustion. On pure instinct Weiss went over to him and kneeled down next to him putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Weiss asked, surprised by the sincerity that was in her own voice. Ironwood let out a low chuckle.

“Yeah. I’m just…I’m just happy the battle is over. Everyone can rest easy for a while now.” He sighed before looking at Weiss. His smile instantly dropped as he recalled everything he had thought about. And now that the battle was over, he needed to talk to Weiss. He placed his right hand over the hand she had on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Weiss. I am so sorry for everything.” Ironwood started. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I…I know everything I have done to you has hurt you. I don’t blame you for hating me. Hell, I even shot Oscar. But I- “He paused too look into her eyes. Those bright ice blue eyes he had fallen for before this whole mess started now filled with shock at his confession. “I want to make it up to you. I want to make things right. By you, by our child and by this kingdom. And I want to do right by your teams and Oscar as well, if he’s okay.” Ironwood could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he was too tired to fight them back. “I know I don’t deserve it. But please, please give me a chance. I don’t think I can- “Ironwood was suddenly silenced by Weiss gently placing a finger to his lips. Ironwood now saw the tears in Weiss’ eyes.

“Don’t. Just, don’t.” Weiss’ voice was barely louder than a whisper. “Almost the whole time I’ve been here I’ve thought about a lot of things. But mostly I thought about you. I thought about the future. I thought about my feelings and what I should do. I thought about a lot of things.” She turned to look away. “You’re right, you don’t deserve a chance. You have no right asking anything of me. But...” Weiss sighed and looked back into Ironwood’s eyes. Her expression was soft and she slowly placed her hand on his cheek. “But the last time I didn’t show mercy or compassion, my team and I lost our guidance in this war. We were cruel. And I never want to be like that again. I want to give you that chance to prove that you mean what you’re saying. So, I will. And as for Oscar,” Weiss took a deep breath. “Ozpin wouldn’t let him die. I know this for a fact. If you truly want to make things right by him, then you’ll have to work for it. But I know that you’ll get the chance. I can’t explain it. But I know that Oscar is okay. I can feel it.”

It was at this point that Ironwood broke completely. He curled in on himself as much as he could and fell to the floor as he openly sobbed. Weiss could only stare. At this moment James Ironwood was not a general. He was not the headmaster of a huntsmen academy. Right now, he was a man. A man who had been broken over and over again. Weiss knew she couldn’t be angry at him. Not anymore. But it broke her heart to see Ironwood like this. She carefully leaned forward and took his hand in hers and placed her other hand on his head. It was strange, but she forgave him. She waited until his tears stopped to say anything more.  
“James, I’m sorry too.” Weiss whispered. Ironwood sat back up slowly, looking at Weiss with wide eyes. “I- we, should have told you the truth from the start. We should have told you everything from the start. I’m so sorry we didn’t. I- “This time Weiss was the one that was silenced as Ironwood pulled her into a soft hug.

“It’s okay. It’s over now. That’s all that matters now is where we go from here. But I want to start this by saying that I will not keep you prisoner her. I want you to stay so that I can help get you the best care. But I won’t force you to stay. If you wish to leave, then tell me and I’ll help you get to where you wan to go. I promise that I will do everything I can for you and for our baby. Even if that means you decide you no longer want to be with me. I owe it to you to make sure that you are still free to choose how to live your life. And I promise to always stand by that.” Weiss could tell that Ironwood was being serious. She couldn’t help but return the hug by wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“Thank you, James. The freedom to choose how I live my life is all I ever wanted. Thank you.” Weiss buried her face in Ironwood’s neck as the continued to hold each other. They both knew there were things that they would still have to work on. What they had before all of this was now gone. But for now, forgiveness and compassion would be a good start. It was a promise that they would try to be better.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember, kudos and comments are life.


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